An Experiential Liberal Arts Core Capstone Course

Instructor: Christine R. Schrage

Office: CBB 261

Telephone: 273-2126

Email: schragec@uni.edu

Course description: This experiential course explores the
socio-economic realities of Central America,
integrating into that exploration the concepts learned and skills gained
through the Liberal Arts Core. The course requires that students study the
impact of culture on the working environment, gain an understanding of the
social and economic condition of a particular country in Central
America and explore how culture might impact that country’s
economic status in the global economy. The experiential component requires that
students live and work with citizens of the country, gaining a more personal
view of the culture and sensitivity to the social-economic realities of the
community.

Course level: 100 level (Junior or higher) The two credit course is limited to 14 students.

Course objectives:

Knowledge:

1)Gain
an understanding of dimensions upon which a culture might be defined.

2)Gain
an understanding of the impact of culture on the work environment.

3)Gain
general knowledge about the economic situation of a Central American country.

4)Apply
knowledge of cultural dimensions to a specific culture to acquire a deeper
understanding of that culture and its social norms.

5)Explore
the ethical and social responsibilities of companies operating in less
developed countries.

·Skills:

1)Utilize
oral and written communication skills acquired through the liberal

arts core.

2)Use
critical thinking skills to identify and evaluate the specific cultural
dimensions that enhance or hinder the economic development of a specific
country.

3)Gain
new language skills or enhance foreign language competency through immersion in
a Spanish speaking environment.

Your final grade will be
based on the percentage of total points earned.

Grade

Percentage

Points

A

94-100

282

A-

90-94

270

B+

87-89

261

B

83-86

249

B-

80-82

240

C+

77-79

231

C

73-76

219

C-

70-72

210

D+

67-69

201

D

63-66

189

D-

60-62

180

F

lower
than 59.9

Pre-trip Assignment -50 points

Each student shall
choose one of the following subject areas to research. A five page
double-spaced document is due at the April 16th orientation session.
A topic must be chosen by the March 26th orientation session.Each student will lead an informal discussion
on the chosen topic during the in-country trip.(No more than two students can choose the same topic area.)

·Economic situation of Central
America during the 20th century

·Social challenges of Central
America

·Central American Free Trade Association
(CAFTA) and its potential

impact on the region

·Role of religion in Central American
society

·Economic and social impact of maquillas and Free Trade Zones in Central
America

·U.S. Foreign Policy relative to Central America in the 20th century.

·Economic challenges of Central
America

·Social-Entrepreneurship and its impact on
solving social and economic problems in Central America

During the orientation
on April 22, each student will share the essence of the pre-trip research paper
and lead a group discussion.Grading
will include grammar/readability, quality of the written paper and information
shared on the topic during the trip during planned discussion.

This paper should
be focused on the key points necessary for an executive or negotiator to learn
issues and concepts that are critical knowledge for building a solid foundation
for business in a particular region or nation.Consider this paper to be a CNN Headline Report instead of a full-scale
documentary project on the subject.During
the trip, each student will be the team “expert” on this particular topic and
seek to increase the overall knowledge of the team by pointing out the
relationships between the events/activities of the trip to the topic area.

Journal -50 points

Students will need
a notebook for recording information and ideas generated from the speakers,
discussions, and interactions with others.The journals will be collected at the end of the trip and will be scored.
The journals will be returned for students to utilize the material for the
final written assignment.

Grading criteria:

·Quality
of writing and organization of journal 10
points

·Summary
of knowledge gained from speakers and reflections upon the perspectives of the
speaker15 points

·Summary
of team discussions and reflections on the global, community, and personal
impact of the issues discussed10 points

·Summary
of daily activities and observations as to the relationship between culture,
work environment, and the community15 points

Participation - 50 points

During quiet
periods in the village and during travel time the group will have discussions
concerning personal observations and issues from the day’s activities.The participation grade is also based on the
contribution of not only the planned discussions with speakers, but at the work
site, during meals, and activities.

Final Paper (due May 31) 100 points

Global Perspective20 pts

In what ways are countries affected by the various
cultural dimensions studied in this course?

What organizational challenges are evident due to
the frequent need for organizations/people to operate within a multi-cultural
environment?

Local Perspective25 pts

Consider the Trompenaar
and Hons cultural dimensions revealed in the textbook
and discuss how the community’s culture aligns with each one.

What aspects of the culture impact the economic
development of the community or region visited?

Can communities like the one visited respond to
the rapid changes of the global economy?Why or why not?

Personal Perspective30 pts

How will you utilize the exposure to the cultural
dimensions studied in this course into the workplace and non-work activities?

In what ways might your personal values and
approaches to decision making positively or negatively impact your ability to
operate in a multi-cultural environment?

In developing countries such as Nicaragua, what
level of social responsibility should companies adhere to?What suggestions do you have for company
responsibility that positively impacts the employees and community without
creating a financial burden?

Grammar/Readability:
25 pts

This paper must be a well-written, well-organized
paper.Grammar errors (more than 6 per
page) will significantly and negatively impact the score.

Presentation 50 points

Each student will present and lead a discussion on one chapter from the
textbook, Riding the Waves of Culture.The concept chosen for discussion must be related to the cultural
environment of the municipalities and villages the team visited during the
in-country experience.Students will be
scored based on the organizational quality, completeness, depth, and
professionalism of the 10 minute oral presentation and discussion following
each presentation.

Activities
Schedule:

February
25– 3 to 5
p.m. class meets for initial orientation. Immunizations need to start early.
Students need to have passports at this time.

March
25– 3 to 5 p.m. class
meets for orientation and completing all the necessary documentation. Pre-class
topic must be chosen and provided to the instructor. Discuss materials from
supplement, start discussions on chapters 1 to 5 from the book